Pie in Sky

One of the things that puzzles us about New College over the last few years, is its acquisition of properties at the same time it is laying off employees and bouncing paychecks. It doesn’t make sense.

One property they are presently seeking to acquire amidst an accreditation crisis that threatens to shut down the institution all together, is the UC Berkeley Extension Laguna Street campus in San Francisco. They’ve even hired consultants, PR firms, architects, and lawyers just for this apparently pie-in-the-sky project.

One of those consultants is former board president of the San Francisco Unified School District, Keith Jackson. Jackson, according to this report, has opened political doors in city hall and elsewhere. Oddly, in 2005 he was enrolled at New College seeking a degree in political science. As a government relations specialist already well-connected in the city, we’re curious why he chose to attend there. Maybe it’s just coincidence.